The present invention relates to a method of packaging a product for shipment, and a product-shipping package for preparing a product to be shipped in a master container. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of packaging for shipment both relatively small, non-bulky, lightweight products, as well as relatively large, bulky, heavy products, in a safe manner, and a product-shipping package for preparing such products for shipment.
Product shipping methods, and packages for shipping products, are known. Traditional product shipping methods and packages for shipping products typically involve some variation of placing the product on a corrugated pad, and then either sealing the product to the corrugated pad with strapping, a plastic sheet, or a sheet of bubble wrap, or else inserting the product into an open plastic envelope pre-attached to the corrugated pad, and sealing shut the plastic envelope. The sealed products and the pad are then placed in a master container to be shipped, sometimes with additional protection added in the form of additional sheets of plastic, additional sheets of bubble wrap, sheets of paper, or foam “packing peanuts.” The traditional shipping methods and packages are adequate for packaging and shipping relatively small, non-bulky, and lightweight products, such as books, video discs, compact discs, cellular phones, electronic notebooks, sporting goods, small personal and household items, children's toys, and the like. Attempting to package and ship relatively large, bulky, or heavyweight products, such as automobile doors, automobile body components, vehicle windshields, and other relatively large commercial products, with traditional shipping methods and packages, however, often results in the product becoming loose and shifting within the master shipping container, or portions of the product coming into contact with inner wall surfaces of the master container; situations which may result in damage to the product.